Grief: Denial
by BroadwayGlory
Summary: Addison London lived a normal life in the small, cloudy town of Youngstown, New York. All she wanted to do was dance. But when the Cullens descend on Youngstown, and bad things start happening, what will she do? Full description inside. 10 years after Breaking Dawn. Minor Violence. CHANGED RATING: Rated M for minor blood and blood lust. NO LEMONS
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Dying was a far more depressing experience than I had expected. However, I knew that my death would be soon. Still, the whole thing was made worse by who had taken my life—or my death, depending on how you looked at it. My life and my death had been hijacked by the last person I expected.

I knew he never meant to take the peace of death from me, but to save me was his intention. He left me even more heartbroken, by turning my miserable life around. Because I didn't feel I deserved love. And this god had taken me from it all, and made me fast, strong, beautiful, and everlasting.

My naiveté made me believe that I didn't deserve any of this life: I had been told every miserable day of it. And that was why I was in denial.


	2. Same Town, New Faces

**Hello everyone, I would like to start off with thanking you or reading this. I know that in the past, I haven't been great at uploading, but thanks for trying anyways (If you are subscribed to me.) I would also like to tell you that it is going to be my goal to update every Monday or Tuesday. That way I have a deadline, and I think that will help. I decided on this story after watching a Twilight marathon. My obsession had died down a little bit, but it came right on back after all those movies! **

**I'd also like to thank _twilightanjm_ for helping me out. _Twilightfanjm_ is my official beta, and is helping me out by looking for holes, which have been known to pop up with me.**

**Now, here is a full description of the story, because I know that I won't be able to fit the whole thing in the space given:**

**Ten years after the Volturi descended to end them, the Cullens leave forks with a new member of their family. In Addison London's eyes, Daniel is rude, and uninterested. She could care less about him. She would rather be at the dance studio than at school with him. He doesn't make it any easier for her. However, soon, he sees her dance. He stops giving her a hard time, and soon, she begins to fall for him. When the unthinkable happens, Daniel has to choose between changing her, or letting her die. What will he choose? **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**~BroadwayGlory**

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**Chapter 1: Same Town, New Faces**

On the coast of New York, long after the city had been forgotten, there was a small town called Youngstown. In Youngstown the trees grew wild, and the water flowed freely. Here, in this beautiful little town, everybody knew each other by their first name, and their story. Youngstown, New York: I was born here, and so were both of my parents. My mother had died here, and everywhere I went, I could never forget.

Youngstown never changed. The population stayed at a level 1,957. In the summer, people came here to sail, and slow down. In the winter, the town was dead. For seventeen years, everything had been the same. On Memorial Day: the same tourists would flock to this little town, and on Labor Day, they would all leave. That was just the way it was. I could not, for the life of me, remember anyone who had moved in or out of Youngstown for as long as I had been alive. That was, until the Cullens came.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen had made quite a splash when he had managed to keep Mr. Greene from slipping into a diabetic coma, on his first day at the small hospital. The paper had done a puff piece on him, and every student at Youngstown High School was abuzz with the news of seven new students enrolling.

Everyone was excited to have new members of the community, but I was skeptical. The Cullens had shown everyone that they liked to be left alone since they arrived. They were living in a big house in the woods just outside of town, so as not to be bothered. I also found it suspicious that a thirty-something doctor with a wife who didn't look a day over twenty-nine had managed to adopt seven kids. It was far from the ideal situation the townsfolk painted it as. I had a bad vibe about the whole lot of them, and I wanted to stay as far away from them as I could on Monday.

Finally, however, Monday came: marked by the blaring of my alarm clock. I had a bad feeling about this day. It felt like something bad was going to happen. I knew, somehow, that everything was going to change today. I scoffed at myself: I was being ridiculous. Nothing was going to change, except that there were going to be a few new people that I saw around school every day.

I sighed, and threw my legs over the side of my bed. I got up, and stretched out my muscles. Like any dedicated dancer, I pirouetted clumsily down the hallway towards the bathroom. As I shoved the bathroom door closed, I caught sight of my reflection. There I was: Addison Avery London, staring back at me. My auburn hair and bright blue eyes contrasted dramatically with my ivory skin, and rosy cheeks. It all mixed together to make an altogether unpleasant five foot, nine inches of a person.

I stared back at the mirror with a defeated expression on my face. I didn't have much to work with today. My hair looked like it had been through a tornado, and my face was paler than usual today. I stifled a yawn as I stepped into the shower, but soon forgot about the sleepy haze, and the chaos that I would face at school. The warm water and steam mingled, to plop me into my own personal ten minutes of paradise. Soon, though, I had to get out and get on with my day. Pulling out my hair dryer, I forced my wavy hair to cooperate. Then, I pulled on whatever clothes I had taken out of my closet last night. Then, I was out the door with my backpack and my dance bag slung over either shoulder.

I dropped my things in the back seat of the grand prix that used to belong to my mother, and started the ignition. I really just wanted to go hide at the dance studio today, but I knew Ashley would insist that I went to school, and I didn't want to waste the gas. So, I drove the mile through town, and was soon pulling into the parking lot of the small high school on the edge of town. I faintly noticed the three expensive cars towards the back of the lit, but I was too eager to get into the warmth of the building to care about that.

The heat cut through the cold air as I opened the double doors. I didn't make it far however, before I heard Ms. Allan calling me to the office over the P.A. Great: what had I done this time? I racked my brain for something that I had broken, or a class I had skipped to get to dance class. By the time I had gotten to the office, I had come up blank. I opened the glass door, tentatively. I was waiting for an ultimatum, but it never came. "Addison," Ms. Allan greeted, motioning me over to the desk. As I opened the door all the way, I noticed a dark haired boy that I had never seen before in my life. He must be one of the Cullens.

"Hi," I greeted Ms. Allan softly.

"Addison, this is Daniel Cullen. I want you to show him around today," she ordered.

"Oh, Ms. Allan, I don't really-" I was cut off before I could finish.

"Daniel has the same schedule as you, and this way, you can't leave early again." She had me there. So much for staying as far away from the Cullens as I possibly could.

"Fine," I sighed. I flashed a grimace at Daniel, and motioned for him to follow me.

"I don't need to follow you around, I can find my own way. Thanks," He mumbled rudely.

"Hey, I'd rather be at the dance studio right now, but I'm stuck here with you. I told Ms. Allan that I would babysit you, and that's exactly what I plan to do," I shot back.

"Oh, by all means, go to the dance studio. I don't need a babysitter, and if you need the extra practice…"

"I don't need the extra practice," I said, and walked off.

"Wait I thought you were supposed to babysit me," he mocked.

"I thought you didn't need a babysitter," I called back from my locker. He shook his head a little, and stormed off to first period: the wrong way. "Hey genius," I called to him.

"What do you want now, bun head," he hissed at me.

"You're going the wrong way," I chuckled, turning back to my locker. I heard him turn around and stomp to class behind me.

I quickly gathered my books, and headed off after him. I arrived in Geography class a few seconds after him, and brushed past him to get to my seat. I had another bad feeling about this class. The only empty seat in the cramped classroom was next to me, I would have to sit next to him in this class. I briefly heard Mr. Denny ask Daniel to take a seat next to me, but I was already plotting about how to get out of here.

I heard him before I saw him, sitting gracefully in the desk next to mine. I ignored him though, turning my book to page 129, like Mr. Denny asked. I could feel the cold, hostile energy rolling off of him as he sat next to me. This was the closest we had ever been, and I could really feel the resentment in him how. I could also see him stiffen from the corner of my eye. What was his problem? Was he really so disgusted by me, that he had to tense up whenever he was near me?

I shrugged it off and ignored him for a few minutes. I took this time to ponder the situation. He could find his way to class without me right? It's not like our school was big or anything. I could slip out the back door, and everybody would be so distracted by the new kids that they wouldn't notice I was gone. I was brought out of my revere when Mr. Denny asked us to name off the countries on the map with our partners.

I grudgingly turned to him, and placed the atlas between us. "Would you like to start?" I asked coldly. When I got no answer, I began naming the countries, pointing at them. When I was done, I looked at him, signaling for him to begin. "Go ahead," I prompted.

He still didn't say anything. He didn't move either. I nudged him a little with my elbow. "Are you okay?" I asked. He flinched a little from my touch, but then went back to being still. Before I knew it, he was up and out the door. The whole class stared at me, but I just sat there, bewildered. The bell rang, but still, nobody moved. I was the first. I quickly dumped my things into my bag, and ran out of class.

They were all staring at me like I was some kind of freak show: Like I had done something to make Daniel Cullen run off. They all thought it was my fault, and I would never hear the end of it. I threw all of my things into my locker and took my coat off of it's hook. And then I was running out of the building.

I knew today was going to be a bad day, and I came anyways. I knew Daniel Cullen was bad news, but I talked to him anyways. I knew I shouldn't have left school early again, but I did anyways. I was so stupid to think that I could make it through the school day. I knew that I couldn't, but I had tried anyways.

I slammed on the gas pedal, and sped off towards my safe haven. I knew that being at the dance studio would make it better, and the half hour drive out of town would clear my head. As soon as I was far enough away, I allowed myself to think about it. I had never fit in at school. I was always the girl who became obsessed with going to dance class after my mom died. I was the girl who always had to deal with her dad coming home drunk at three in the morning. I was the girl who had to grow up fast and take care of herself. I didn't want any of their pity though. I just wanted them to leave me alone. So, I suffered in silence while everybody talked behind my back. I was already the girl with no friends, and now I was the girl who scared Daniel Cullen off. They would blame me if anything happened to him. They would blame me if he didn't show up to his next class. They would blame me if he so much as gave anyone a funny look.

"Damn it," I muttered, and turned my car around. I had to make sure he was okay, or it would be my ass on the line. I pulled into the parking lot, and approached the line of expensive cars that must have belonged to the Cullens. A blue Audi was where I found him. He was clenching the steering wheel, and glaring through the windshield.

I knocked on the window, and waited. Slowly, his head turned towards me, and he scoffed. The window rolled down with a mechanical sounding _whirr_. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. You high-tailed it out of there pretty quickly. Did I do something to offend you?" I asked.

"No," he sighed. "I didn't even want to go to school. I wanted to… drop out. Carlisle and Esme wouldn't let me. You didn't do anything," he sighed.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"No, just run off to the dance studio," he scoffed.

"I will," I told him. "But you should go to class. I'm already going to be in enough trouble as it is for leaving early, but I'm going to be in even more trouble if you don't go to class."

"I was excused," he held up a note from the nurse.

"Fine," I sighed, turning on my heel and leaving. I heard his car start from behind me, but I was already at my car, getting ready to leave. I pulled out of the school parking lot again, and this time headed to dance class for real.

I got to the studio just as Ashley was opening up. "Hey," I called to her.

"Hey," she replied. "More trouble at school?" she asked.

"You could say that," I grumbled.

"It's going to be okay," she promised. "Studio D is open if you want it."

"Thanks," I sighed. She just smiled gently at me. I walked into the open studio and flipped the lights on. I pulled the barre to the center of the room, and began to stretch. As I stretched I worked my thoughts out. I wondered what I had done to make Daniel hate me so much. I had just met him today, and I had barely said ten words to the guy. I brought his face to the front of my mind, and tried to find something there that would explain why he disliked me so much; why he went stiff when I was around.

I shrugged it off, and began to dance. _Pirouette, pata bu rea, pata bu rea, fifth position, turn, turn, turn, leap. Turn en coupe, and land._ I did the exercise first five times, and then ten, until I lost count, and just didn't stop. "Addie," I heard from behind me. I turned to see Ashley staring at me. "You're going to hurt yourself. What on earth has gotten into you?"

"I don't know," I sobbed. With that, I crumpled to the floor. This was one day where dancing didn't make my problems disappear. All the memories came flooding back to me.

_ The sound of breaking glass, and cracking ice. It wouldn't hold, we were all going to die. Then we went under. The water was freezing, and it rushed in through all the crevices in the car. My mom screamed, and I cried._

_ "Mommy, I'm scared," I whimpered._

_ "It's going to be all right," she assured me gently._

But it wasn't all right. Someone who had yet to identify themselves, had kicked the window in and pulled me out of the car. That person had also left my mother to die. Stupid little things like this always triggered my attacks, and I always broke down without fail.

"Addie, it's okay," Ashley said from next to me. She had pulled me into a hug, and was letting me cry it our all over her shirt. "You're here in the dance studio, and I'm not going to let anything hurt you," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," I sniffled, getting up off of the floor, and going to lean against the door.

"Don't be sorry. You can't help it. I think you should go home for today though." She advised.

"I don't want to be alone," I whimpered, clinging to the barre to support myself.

"Okay," she shushed. "Then why don't you go to my office and lay down for a while. Take all the time you need, and then we can start your lesson," she offered.

"Thanks," I whispered, heading for the door at the end of the hall. I stepped in, and closed the door behind me. The office was cozy, and it always smelled good. It was painted a light purple, and there was a white desk in the back. Behind it were shelves of books, and pictures. I could see pictures of her in her first ballet. I could see a picture of her daughter and her husband. Then I caught sight of the last thing I ever expected. It was a picture of me. I was in a white costume that flared out from my hips. I couldn't make out the detail, but I knew what it looked like. It had gold beading, and a purple sash tied around the waist. It was a picture from when I had done the swan lake solo.

It was just last year when she had given me that solo. She had insisted that I could do it, and I had. I didn't know that she had a picture of it though. None of her students had ever had a picture on those shelves before as far as I knew. I smiled a little, and went to the other wall to lie down on the black leather couch as she had ordered.

When I felt stable enough, I exited Ashley's office, and entered the studio. Without saying a word, we began the lesson on the barre. Together, we danced until her first class arrived in the studio next to us. "Good lesson, Addie," she said as she walked out the door. "If you need a place to go, you can always come here," she promised. "You know where the spare key is." With that, she left me alone in the small studio to practice.

A few hours later, I left the studio, feeling better. I started my car, and went on my way. I would have to be at school all day tomorrow, or I would be in trouble. The last thing I wanted was for my dad to get mad. On the way home, I thought about what I would say to Daniel tomorrow. I would ask him what his problem was, and then I would get on with my life. I would proceed to ignore him, because the last thing I needed in my life was another person to feel sorry for me.

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**Dance Dictionary:**

Pirouette: A turn on one leg in releve (high on your toes, not to be confused with pointe)

Pata bu rea: A step combination. (Step behind one foot, step behind one foot in the same direction, one step in the other direction.)

fifth position: When two feet are positioned facing the opposite direction of each other ( looks like an equal sign = )

turn en coupe: Much like a pirouette, but the foot is positioned more near the ankle, instead of a turn en releve which is closer to the knee.


	3. The New Dance Partner

**Hello! I know I said it would be a week, but I lost the chapter, and had to rewrite it.**

**Thanks to my beta _twilightfanjm_**

**Read on, and review!**

**~BroadwayGlory**

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**Chapter 2: The New Dance Partner**

The next day began considerably the same as the last. Most did. However, there was one thing that was different: The Dream about Daniel. He was calling for me, but no matter how much I ran, I couldn't reach him. His haunted cries echoed in my brain, but I still couldn't reach him. Finally, through my efforts, I found him. He was there staring at me, with a pained look on his face. Without saying anything, he lunged forward and plunged a knife in me. The last thing I saw was Daniel opening his eyes: they were blood red.

I woke up gasping for air, soaked in sweat as my alarm clock beeped. I breathed in deeply, and waited for the dream to fade from my mind. I was going crazy. Why was I dreaming about a boy I barely knew?

Shaking it off, I once again made my way to the bathroom, and started my daily routine. The sleepy haze remained as I drove to school. And no matter how much I tried, I couldn't shake the dream out of my head. Maybe it was my nerves. I was, after all, about to confront him. I was going to ask him what his problem was: and that was scary.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I began my scan for the blue Audi, but I couldn't find one. Sighing I parked, and began my search on foot. Soon, I caught sight of the line of expensive cars. However, there was one missing today. The blue Audi wasn't with the rest of them. I didn't think much of it: I figured that he had just caught a ride with one of his siblings.

I mentally shrugged, and went to my locker like normal. He would be in Geography. I picked up the books I would need, and then continued on to class. As I opened the door, I realized that he wasn't there. I waited through Geography, and then Pre-Calculus, and then I waited through English, but he never showed. Now I was mad. I was going to confront him today. He was going to tell me what his problem was, and then we would be able to move on with our lives. But now, I had to wait longer.

I grudgingly went to lunch, and hustled to my usual table. But the table that I usually sat alone at was nearly full. I was about to turn around and search for a different table, but I heard a voice from behind me say, "Addison?" I turned on my heel to find the whole table staring at me. I searched around for the person who had spoken my name, but I couldn't find her. "You can sit here if you want," said a short, pixie like girl, sitting on my left side. "I know you usually sit here," she explained.

Hesitantly, I sat down at the table full of the new kids. "I'm Alice," the pixie said energetically. "and that's Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Edward and Bella," she said, pointing around the table. I waved awkwardly to them, and they did the same.

"So, Daniel wanted me to give you this," Alice told me, handing me a folded paper. I was confused as to why Daniel would write me a note, but i took the paper and put it in my pocket. In silence, we sat for at least ten minutes. Nobody moved to touch their food.

"Uh, I have to get going," I told them, getting up from my seat.

"Okay, Bye!" Alice exclaimed.

"Alice," I heard edward hiss from behind me.

"What?" she asked defensively. "We're going to be great friends after..."

"Daniel's not going to let that happen..." Rosalie hissed.

"Shh..." Edward warned. They knew I was listening. As quickly as I could I left the cafeteria and made my way to my car. Still mystified, I opened the folded paper that Alice had given me.

_Addison,_

_I wanted to apologize for being such an ass yesterday. I was angry at a lot of things, and I took it out on you. I apologize. I will be out of school for a few days, but I assume that we will be seeing each other much sooner than you realize._

_ Apologies,_

_ Daniel_

The note confused me even more. Why would he write something so cryptic to me. He would be seeing me a lot sooner than I realized? I didn't realize that I knew when I would be seeing him. And, why did he even bother? Who wrote notes to people anymore?

I arrived at the dance studio an hour later, ready to work. I noticed Ashley's car in the parking lot, and skipped in, ready to greet her. What I found however, was not great. She was slouching in her chair, looking shriveled. She looked like hell. I approached her slowly, making sure that she heard my footsteps so that I didn't frighten her. "Ashley," I addressed cautiously. She mumbled a little, but for other part, didn't acknowledge my existence.

Slowly, I helped her up, and down the hall to her office. With her weight supported against me the journey took much longer than it should have. I kicked the door open with my foot, and lay her down on her couch. I told her to wait, while I ran to the closet by the front desk to grab her a blanket.

"My classes," she whispered weekly just as I was departing. I saw her struggle to get up, but I hurried over to her and pushed her shoulders down.

"You can't. Your heart condition," I warned her.

"But-" I cut her off.

"I'm going to cover your classes today, don't worry about it," I told her. Slowly, she nodded, and lay her head down. I turned to leave again as I heard her call my name.

"Addie," she called.

"Yes," I answered.

"There is a new student coming in at two. He's the replacement I found for Michael. He will help you with the classes, but could you show him around?" she asked weakly.

"Of course," I assured her. She nodded again, and closed her eyes to sleep.

I thought of this. Michael, my dance partner had left for New York City at the beginning of the school year. Ashley had been looking for someone new ever since. I guess it would be nice to have someone my level to dance with. It was also nice to have technique class to myself. But it would be nice to not be alone all the time.

Glancing at my watch, I picked up the pace in warming up. He would be here in ten minutes, and I had to make sure his contract was in order, and decide how I wanted to divide up the classes. As soon as I finished, I hustled to the front desk, and saw the packet set aside for him.

I got out a pen, and waited patiently for about a minute until he walked in at exactly 2:00. At first, all I saw was dark hair and a coat. "Hello," I greeted. He turned towards me, and my blood began to boil. His face came into view, and I began to recognize him. The gold eyes, and the pale skin all added together to create the image of him: Daniel Cullen, in the flesh.

"What do you want," I asked him coldly.

"I want to dance," he answered back.

"Then sign up for a class. Adult beginners is on Fridays at five," I instructed him.

"I have signed up for class. And I believe that contract in your hand is mine," he told me. My eyes went to the name on the top line of the contract, and sure enough, in Ashley's handwriting was his name.

I scoffed, and thrust the thin stack of papers into his hands. "Sign on the lines with an x on them. I have **choreo** to work on," I grumbled.

"Where do I go after I'm done?" he called after me.

"Studio C. You can find it without a tour guide," I threw back at him over my shoulder. As soon as the door shut behind me, I turned on the music and cranked it up. I let it take over, and was dancing again. _**Attitude pose**__, half turn, arms out, __**fouette**__, fouette, fouette, land. __**tour de basque**__, -_

A slamming door broke my concentration, and I fell to the floor in surprise. Feet ran over to me, and hands picked me up off of the floor. I yanked my arm from Daniel's grasp angrily. "I don't need your help," I snapped.

He jerked away from me, a defeated look on his face. "You're good," he remarked.

"I know," I replied.

"Look, I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was dealing with a lot, and I know that that's no excuse, but I was. But I don't know what I did to you to make you act like this towards me," he defended.

"You were an ass," I told him.

"I know, and I apologized for that," he said gently.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not sure that he would hear.

"It's all right, I deserved it," he repented. "So, what can I do to help you?"

"Well," I began. "Ashley's sick today. I told her that I would cover her classes, and she sort of volunteered you," I explained.

"Sure," what do you need me to do?" he asked.

"Nothing yet. We have two hours to rehearse. I have a ballet **pas de deux** that we are supposed to perform in June. She would probably want us to rehearse it," I told him.

"All right. What is it?" he asked.

"The Black Swan pas de deux. Do you know it?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Let me get my pointe shoes on, and then we can begin," I told him. "Why don't you warm up?"

He walked over to the barre, and began stretching. I watched him for a minute, noticing his excellent form. Damn, I couldn't even give myself a reason to reject him as a partner. I turned my attention to my pointe shoes. I noticed the wear in them. I would have to get new ones. I had just gotten these last week, and I had already worn through them. My father wouldn't be happy. Maybe Ashley had some old ones that I could borrow.

I shook the thought out of my head and prepared my dance shoes. I stretched them, and bent them. Then I tied them up my legs and was ready to go. "Ready," I proclaimed to Daniel.

"Me too," he replied, taking his hand off of the barre, and walking to the far right. I took the remote into my hand and pressed play to begin our music. We took our cues, and began leaping into the center. Then we began the dance.

At first, all I noticed was the gentle pressure on my waist before the lifts. It wasn't unusual for the pressure to be there. My last partner had done the exact same thing to let me know that he wouldn't drop me. Soon, however, there was a lift, and the pressure increased. I expected to feel the usual warmth from his hands, but all I felt was ice cold.

I felt myself tense up, but I kept dancing to the slow part. However, soon enough he took my hand, and I felt exactly how cold his touch was. It wasn't just cool, but icy. It was unusual.

I gasped, and instinctively pulled my hand from his. I stared at him for a moment, but I couldn't quite figure what was out of place. We stayed locked in position, eyes not leaving the others'. It was like this for quite some time until I heard the front door open, as the first student arrived. I snapped out of my revere, and went to greet her.

I had my nightmare again that night. It was different though.

_I was walking in a forest following a trail. I didn't know where I was heading, but I knew that I had to stay on the trail. After a moment, I saw a house shining in the moonlight. It was a huge house, but something was off. Following my instincts, I went up to the front door to find Daniel._

"_Hello," he said gently, and almost sweetly. His bright smile glinted in the moonlight._

"_Hi," I replied shyly._

_All of a sudden, he pulled me into an embrace. It was wrong though: cold. Despite it, I relaxed in his arms and enjoyed the embrace. This part felt right. I tilted my face up to see his, and I could see that he was getting closer. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the kiss, but it never came. Instead, his lips touched my neck.. It was passionate and pleasurable until I felt his teeth sink into the flesh. Again, the last thing I saw was red eyes, staring back at me: unremorseful._

Again, like yesterday, I woke up panting and sweating in freight. Again, I tried to shake it off, unsuccessfully. I couldn't get over why all of my dreams had been about Daniel lately. I knew that there was something different about him, but I couldn't pinpoint it.

I tried to forget about it the same way as yesterday: by taking a hot shower. Again, it didn't work. I couldn't seem to wash away the feeling of his ice cold skin. Again I rushed out the door. Today, however, I didn't seek him out. It was the other way around.

"Addie," he called from his car. I pretended like I didn't hear, and kept walking. I couldn't let him see that I was afraid of him. "Addie," he said again. This time he had caught up to me.

"Hi," I mumbled, keeping my eyes on my shoes.

"Did I do something yesterday?" he asked.

"No," I assured. "It was me. Sometimes I space out. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way," I lied.

"You're lying," he pointed out.

"No, I promise," I fibbed again.

"Okay," he sighed, clearly giving up.

"So, are you ready to finish the pas de deux?" I asked tentatively.

"Sure," he replied.

"Okay," I said, walking off to my locker.

That day, Daniel and I pulled up to the studio to see Ashley's car there. I rushed into the studio to see her on her feet and looking better. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"A lot better. Thank you both for helping out yesterday," she commented.

"What are you doing here. The doctor said-" she cut me off.

"If you are having one of your days, you must rest for at least 48 hours to calm the irregular heartbeat, and rest my mind," she quoted.

"It hasn't been 48 hours," I told her.

"I feel fine," she defended.

"I just want you to be careful. Everyone in my life leaves me, and I don't want to lose you too," I confessed.

She sighed and walked around the desk. "I'm not going to leave you," she told me, wiping a stray tear off of my cheek.

"You're the closest thing I have to a mother ever since..." I trailed off.

"I know. Look, if it makes you feel better, I will teach class from a chair today. You can demonstrate for me," she compromised.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome," she smiled, tapping my nose. "Why don't you two get warmed up, and then we can start your rehearsal."

Daniel nodded and headed to the studio we rehearsed in yesterday. I stayed behind though. "Something I can do for you?" Ashley asked.

"Um," I began quietly. "I'm almost worn through my pointe shoes, and I'm don't want to ask my dad. He has enough on his mind. Do you have some old ones in size six?" I asked timidly.

Without a word, she walked over to the shoe cabinet next to the front desk, and pulled out a new box of size six pointe shoes. "No," I protested.

"Yes," she corrected. "You help me whenever I ask. As far as I'm concerned you deserve a pair or two of **pointe** shoes from me. Consider it a gift."

"Thank you," I remarked.

"Don't mention it," she finished, turning around and locking the cabinet.

I turned the corner and entered the studio that Daniel was in. I silently walked over to the corner and began breaking in my pointe shoes. Following my routine, I hit the **shank** on the floor a few times, and bent it a little. These shoes were a little harder than usual, so I walked over to the door and bent it that way. Next, I snipped and sewed on the **elastics**, and shaved the front and bottom of the shoe with my pocket knife. Finally, I poured a little water on the **toe box** so that it would mold to my feet.

With the help of the** barre**, I went on pointe to check the break-in. Finally, I was satisfied enough to crunch a little **rosin** on the toes. I stretched out my muscles, and then got off of the barre and stretched out a little on the ground. "Ready?" Daniel asked from a few feet away.

"Yeah," I told him, from the ground. He walked over to me, and helped me up just as Ashley walked in

"Ready?" she called from the door.

"Yeah," we both said at the same time.

"Alright, get in position," she told us.

We both jogged over to opposite sides of the room.

This time I was ready for his cold embrace, and after a while it even seemed comfortable. For the rest of the night, Daniel and I worked at the studio, helping out and rehearsing between classes. I learned that he had been accepted to the Seattle Ballet right when he had learned that he would be moving. He had decided that he couldn't move. I understood why he was so bitter about being here.

I told him that my mom had been a dancer, and that I had been dead-set about being like her ever since her death. I also confided that I couldn't afford to dance, so I helped at the studio to earn lessons. He had gotten an odd look on his face when I told him that, and he left a few minutes later.

I didn't think much about it until when I got home. I pulled up to the small blue-paneled house locked my car. Soon however, I noticed something odd outlined on my porch. I walked cautiously towards the outline and realized what it was. Ten boxes of size six pointe shoes in the brand that I used.

* * *

Dance Dictionary:

Choreo: Short for choreography, is the sequence of steps in dance.

Attitude pose: There is a picture here imgres?imgurl = . &imgrefurl = www . / image-24909905/stock-photo-ballet-performance-atti tude-pose&h=470&w=360&sz=22&tbnid=-xfhpQrwJMA1gM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=69&zoom=1&usg=_0iKzdO0xdRF2l7-9JLlJU3ipnZ0=&docid=qBHPQKLiIWnl2M&sa=X&ei=q4dtUcWPCYrXygH-0oGwAw&ved=0CEoQ9QEwBA&dur=3180 (Without spaces)

Fouette: There is a video here www . youtube watch?v=58tlZTTYUTo (Without Spaces.) Keep in mind that the dancer in this video is doing many turns, while one single fouette is only a single turn, unless connected like it is in the chapter.

Tour De Basque: There is a vidoe here www . youtube watch?v=aQh9-lIqYZY (Without Spaces)

Pas De Deux: Technical Translation - Dance of Two, Loose Translation - Dance Duet

Pointe: When a ballet dancer goes up on her toes in pointe shoes. (Such as the dancer in the fouette video.)

Shank: The sole of a pointe shoe. It is usually made harder than a regular shoe to support the dancer's foot.

Elastics: The part of the shoe that crosses the ankle to hold the shoe on a dancer's feet. These are sometimes replaced with ribbons in pointe shoes

Toe Box: The front of the pointe shoe usually extends a few inches past the dancer's toe. The bottom is flat so that the dancer can stand on it.

Barre: A horizontal pole (Usually wooden) that the dancer can use to stretch, warm up and practice technique.

Rosin: Dried Tree Sap in a hard form. It is used to help ballet shoes grip the floor, and on the bows of stringed instruments.


	4. Secrets

**Hello everyone! I know it's been forever since I updated a story, but I needed to change the story line a little, and I didn't know how to do that. Now I know exactly what I'm doing, so I can update a lot. I am currently two chapters in advance, so there will be another chapter right after this, and I will put the one after that up by the end of the week. **

**Thanks to _twilightfanjm_ for looking my chapter over, and letting me rant!**

**That's all! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer, and I do not own the Twilight Saga. This is an unofficial fan sequel. All characters in the previous series by Stephenie Meyer belong to her. I am not claiming any monetary reimbursement for this story, I do it for my own enjoyment, and to better my writing.**

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**Chapter 3: Secrets**

I picked up my boxes of shoes, and towed them inside. I heard the television on in the other room, so I popped in. "Hi dad," I greeted.

"How did you get those shoes, Addison?" he asked gruffly.

"A friend gave them to me, my new dance partner," I explained.

"Your dance partner just gave them to you?" he didn't believe me. He hadn't even turned around to look at me. This was going to be bad.

"Yeah, he did," I told him truthfully.

"I don't believe you," he stated.

"How else would I have gotten them?" I asked timidly.

"I think you stole them," he told me, getting up and walking closer to me.

"I wouldn't steal from Ashley," I promised desperately.

"I didn't say they were from Ashley's. There's plenty of stores there in town," he told me, close enough to touch me.

"I promise you, I didn't steal them," I whispered.

"Well, I didn't pay for them," he said. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I wanted to flee, but he grabbed my arm, preventing me.

"He did," I insisted.

"Did you sleep with him?" he interrogated.

"No," I whimpered.

"Then how did you get them?" he yelled.

"I told you, they were a gift," I sobbed. The fear was running through my veins like ice, and I could tell that I was going to begin to shake. My father's grip was tight and hard like iron. It cut off my circulation, and I knew that there was no getting out of this. I braced myself for what was about to come, but a knock on the door saved me.

"Go get that door," he demanded. "I'll deal with you later." He pushed me in the direction of the door. I sobbed silently for a moment, until I ran frantically out of the room. I composed myself before opening the door. Standing on my porch, looking debonair was Daniel.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," I replied softly.

"I came to see if you got the shoes," he explained.

"Uh, yeah. Thank you," I acknowledged.

"No problem, my family has a little money to throw around. And I overheard your conversation with Ashley earlier.

"This isn't really a great time," I explained. "We can talk about this tomorrow."

"Are you sure, because I heard yelling," he stated.

"Just stay out of it," I begged.

"Please just come with me," he pleaded.

"I can't," I explained.

"We can go to your room and pack a bag, and you never have to come back here," he begged.

I knew that he wasn't going to let me dismiss him, but I didn't want him to get hurt. He barely knew me, and he didn't have to protect me. What he needed to was leave, before my dad took his anger out on him instead. "Please just leave. Nothing's going to happen," I told him.

"But," I cut him off.

"Just leave!" I shouted hysterically.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and I began to feel bad for yelling at him. His face looked like a puppy dog that had just been kicked. "Alright. I will see you tomorrow. You're welcome for the shoes. Call me if you need anything," he said,departing. I shut the door quietly, and walked back into the room towards my fate.

Three weeks later, I parked next to Daniel's Audi. I had been avoiding him for weeks now, and I knew that I couldn't avoid him any longer, considering Ashley was making us rehearse again today. I got out and knocked on the tinted window on the passenger side. I knew he would be waiting for me inside. The doors unlocked and I slid inside. He silently backed out of the parking lot without looking at me.

"Not going to class today?" I inquired.

"Nope," he said. Nothing was said for a while after that. We just drove. I knew we weren't going to the studio though, because we were going the opposite way. I didn't ask him where we were going. I didn't want to talk to him much at all. He had witnessed me in one of my most vulnerable states that night. Nobody had ever seen that, and I never intended for him to see it ever again. "How did you get that bruise on your arm?" he asked solemnly.

"I ran into a bookshelf last night," I lied.

"And it grabbed you," he exclaimed, taking my wrist, and exposing the purple ring around my arm. I tried to pull my arm out of his hand, but his cold grip wasn't budging.

"You're going to be the one with a bruise if you don't let me go," I threatened.

He scoffed and let go of my arm. "I would like to see you try," he said menacingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I defended.

"Nothing," he replied. The silence fell between us again, and I fell back into my seat. I let him drive for another twenty minutes before saying anything.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To the studio," he answered.

"No we're not, it's the other way," I stated.

"I know, we're stopping somewhere else first," he defended.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the last place I expected: a cemetery. My mother's cemetery. I didn't know how to feel about this. On one side, I felt like he was finally going to open up to me. On the other hand, it seemed a little creepy. I followed him to an older part of the cemetery, until we came to a plot that was kept in the best shape out of all of the others. It was beginning to bud with flowers and the granite headstone was kept in gleaming shape

_Emiline Frost-Brandt_

_Beloved Mother, Wife, and Sister_

_Died with a dance in her heart_

"Who is this?" I prodded.

"She was my mother. She died when I was seven. My father wasn't around. So, I went into foster care. Eventually I was placed with Carlisle and Esme, and I found a permanent home. But the first few years were hard," he finished.

"Daniel, why did you bring me here?" I asked exasperated

"You wanted me to open up, so here I am: opening up to you. But I expect you to open up to me in return," he bargained. I nodded, a little defeatedly.

"Follow me," I ordered, leading him to a newer part of the cemetery. After a minute, we reached a memorial. It was a small white statue of an angel. On the base, you could see my mother's name. "This is my mother. She died when I was eleven: car crash. Her car went through the bridge and into the lake. I was with her, then. Somebody kicked my window in, and pulled me out. They left my mom to die though. They never found a body, you know. Or the car she was driving.

"Sometimes though, I think I see her. On the street, or looking in the window. I used to like to pretend that she would just walk in the door one day like nothing had ever happened. I know that it's never going to happen though. She's what inspires me to work as hard as I do at dancing. She was a dancer, and she always wanted me to be one too. I guess when she dies, I started wanting it for myself as much as she wanted it for me."

"Addie, I'm sorry. I didn't know," he whispered.

"You've been in this town for a month, and you didn't hear it from anybody yet?" I asked skeptically.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not much of a joiner. I don't talk to anyone outside of my family except you," he stated.

"Well, you're more like me than I thought," I said sarcastically.

"Now that I figured out," he joked.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, just looking at my mom's memorial. The silence was comfortable between us, and it would have continued that way if the reality of where we were hadn't dawned on us.

"Are you ready to go?" Daniel asked softly.

"Yeah, you go back to the car, I'll be there in a second," I informed him. He nodded, and trekked off silently to where he had parked.

I stepped closer to the memorial, and looked up at the angel's face. If I didn't know any better, I would say that my mother had turned to stone, the resemblance was so uncanny. I put my hand in the outstretched palm of the angel, and held it for a second. "Bye mom," I whispered, sliding my hand off of the cool white marble.

"Ugh!" I exclaimed as I fell on the floor for the fifth time in a row. I was finding out the hard way that balancing on one pointe shoe for fourteen counts wasn't easy.

"Pretend that a string is lifting you up. It may keep you from falling," Daniel suggested.

"You think I haven't tried that?" I asked hotly.

"Let's just go from that part one more time," he suggested. I went back to the starting position of the phrase, and began again. Once again, my ankle folded under me just as I was about ready to land in Daniel's arms.

"Again," I panted as I got up off the floor. I began the phrase once again. As I got closer to the part that was troubling me, I felt my heart flutter with nerves. Finally, it came time for me to try again. This time, as I balanced on my toe, Daniel's hands stayed close, ready to catch me if I fell again. He never needed to catch me though, because I stayed up. After my balancing act, I felt Daniel's frigid hands fall onto my waist. Finally, we came to the last spin, and he dipped me into my last position.

I suddenly realized the closeness of our two faces. He was kneeling below me, and my back leg was pointed like an arrow to the heavens, my lips just inches from his. I noticed a deep need to kiss him. Slowly, our lips met,and a fire started in the room. The kiss was passionate, and gentle. He brought me back up from my awkward position, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Too soon, I heard footsteps outside the door, and I pulled away. We didn't say anything for a few minutes, we just looked at each other. I struggled to compose myself and slow my racing heart as the first student walked through the studio doors. Braking our eye contact, I moved to greet her. "Good afternoon Emily!" I said a little too enthusiastically.

Finally, it was time to go home. "Oh! I left my car at school!" I exclaimed as we reached the parking lot.

"That's okay, I'll take you home, and pick you up in the morning. You can get your car then," he offered. I silently followed him to his car. The amber twilight sky made his usually blue Audi reflect a more purple hue, and it was almost hard to recognize it this way. I slid in the passenger seat, and we headed home.

The ride back to Youngstown was filled with idle chatter about the day, and other small things. It was evident, though, that the atmosphere had changed between us. As the welcome sign came into view, our conversations grew silent. I looked over at him to figure out what had caused this sudden silence, only to find something I never expected. An errant ray of sun had caught on a small exposed patch of skin on the back of his hand. Instead of reflecting a slight glow as I expected from his pale skin, I saw something else entirely. His skin threw shards of light around the cab of the car.

Like a million diamonds, his skin sparkled. The sight filled me with both terror, and awe as I processed this sight. I glanced at Daniel's face, only to see a steely expression on his face: not unlike the one he had worn when I first met him. I would not get any answers from him if I asked him, but I knew one thing: it was not normal. My mind raced, desperately trying to put together pieces of the puzzle. His skin was icy at best, and now his skin was sparkling? What kind of drugs had he slipped me? Or was this actually happening? Was there actually something so wrong with him that this would happen. Like a distant memory, though, the ray of sun had disappeared, and his skin was back to normal.

We rode the rest of the way back into town in silence, and not soon enough, we pulled up to my house. "Thanks, bye," I acknowledged as I scrambled out of the car and slammed the car door. I was hoping he would drive off right away, but he waited to watch me walk to the door.

The place that usually felt like a prison felt most like safety today as I closed the door and pressed my body weight against it. Soon though this place felt less safe as I heard my father's footsteps. "That's not your car," he said obviously.

"Daniel drove me to dance, it was late, so I left my car at school. It will be fine until morning," I assured him.

"I didn't say you could ride with this Danie person, did I?" dad asked, coming menacingly closer.

"I didn't figure you'd have a problem with it. That's less you have to spend on gas, and more you can spend on booze," I insisted, instantly regretting it.

"You will not lecture me under my own roof!" he exclaimed, grabbing the collar of my shirt, and pushing my back against the wall.

"I'm sorry, I promise I won't ever say it again," I sobbed.

"Not good enough," he claimed as he reared back his hand to slap me. Suddenly, the door that I had forgotten to lock slammed open, and a figure with dark hair charged in in a blur, pushing my dad back against a far wall. The figure moved too fast to see, but I knew it was Daniel. I could see his car, now vacant, still sitting on the curb.

"Daniel, stop!" I exclaimed. But he didn't He shook my father with such force that his eyes rolled back into his head. "That's enough!" I yelled in terror. Daniel, breathing hard, instantly stopped and pointed upstairs.

"Get a bag, now," he panted. Too terrified to deny him, I ran to my room, and quickly packed some clothes, and my laptop in a duffle bag. I ran down the stairs to Daniel. I flinched as he put his arm around me protectively, and led me to the car. Still too stunned to realize what I was doing, I followed him.

We were on the road and driving towards the forested outskirts of town. I didn't know where he was taking me, but I knew it was in my best interest to cooperate now. Finally after quite a long period, Daniel had calmed enough to speak. "You're not going back to that place," he said. "Ever," he added as an afterthought.

Gathering up my courage, I spoke. "You're not my father, and quite frankly, I'm a little terrified of you right now," I breathed.  
"I know that you saw my skin earlier. Let me explain when we get to my house.

"Fine," I submitted, not relaxing in my seat, briefly wondering why I had agreed to get in a car with someone I was afraid of in the first place.

The drive through to forest was tense. But before long, Daniel pulled up to a looming structure. This was his house. He parked the car in front of the house, and quickly raced around the car to open my door. I shied away from him, as I exited the vehicle. I was not any calmer at his house than I was at mine.

Taking a hint, he didn't touch me as he showed me into his house. "Carlisle, Esme, I need you down here," he called, only slightly above normal volume. After a few seconds, the pair that I had never laid eyes on descended the staircase. Dr. Cullen, true to his reputation was a handsome young man with clean cut blonde hair and honey-colored eyes to match. His wife, Esme, as Daniel had just called her was significantly shorter. She was elegant and petite, with her long caramel hair framing her breathtaking face.

"Welcome," Carlisle said warmly. "You must be Addison, Daniel has told us a lot about you," he greeted, not offering his hand to shake.

"Would you like something to drink?" Esme inquired. Her presence was a calming one, and I suddenly felt myself relax in the presence of Daniel, whom I had been afraid of a few seconds ago.

"No thank you Mrs. Cullen," I replied.

"Oh, please, call me Esme," she insisted. I nodded politely. Next to me, there was another conversation going on. "I have to tell her Carlisle," Daniel explained. "I had to get her out of that house, and I revealed myself in the process."

"You do realize what they can do to her if they find out?" Carlisle clarified. Daniel nodded somberly. "Alright," he submitted. "Addison, why don't you follow the three of us to my study." I followed him as directed, suddenly nervous again.

We wove through the house to a room in the back corner of the house. I had a sickening realization that I would not be able to find my way out if I needed to. Carlisle seated me in a leather seat, across from a couch where he joined Daniel and Esme.

"Who would you like to hear it from Addie?" Daniel asked.

"I think you owe me the explanation, Daniel," I shot at him.

"Alright," he agreed. He tensed to tell me what was happening.


	5. Edge of the World

**Hello again! It's only been a few minutes, but I needed to explain something.**

**WARNING!: there is minor violence, blood, and blood lust in this chapter. If there are any of the above I have placed them in between stars. *****Like this*****. If you don't like, or can't read any of the above, I have placed those stars over the minimum amount possible. If you skip past them, you won't miss any of the good parts, or anything extremely important. This chapter is why I have changed the rating to M, just so you know.**

**Thanks to _twilightfanjm_ for betaing!**

**Read on! **

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**Chapter 4: The Edge of the World**

"You should start with your story, Daniel," Carlisle suggested after a period of several minutes when nobody spoke. Daniel nodded in agreement.

"Where should I start?" he asked.

"Start from the beginning," Daniel's adoptive father responded.

"Okay," Daniel sighed. "I was born on June 18th, Nineteen Fifty to Emiline and Neil Brandt. They lived in New York City at the time, and I had a fairly normal childhood." He paused to give me a moment to process. He had been born in 1950? How did he still look like he was a teenager. I got the sickening feeling of wrongness again, but I pushed away, and nodded solemnly at him to continue.

"When I was seven, my mother died. I remember that every year, on her birthday, dad and I would go to the ballet. She loved it there. When I was twelve, I realized how much I wanted to dance like the people on the stage, so I insisted my father place me in instruction. I became slowly obsessed with it, and my father and I grew apart very quickly. I moved out and found my own place when I secured a spot in a company.

"It was there I met Juliette. She was unlike anyone I had ever seen. She was beautiful, and graceful. She danced unlike anyone I had ever seen. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were partnered. However, as soon as we got closer as partners, I noticed something. Whenever I would lift her, or touch her, her skin felt like ice. I shook it off like you did for me. We got closer over a few months, and our," he hesitated, taking a second to look at me passionately, "Our romance began. It was short lived however. She asked me to rehearse with her one night, and of course I agreed. When I arrived, she seemed off. She seemed tense, like she was struggling with something.

"We began to rehearse, and then I knew that something was wrong. She wasn't dancing like normal. Usually, she flowed, but this time she was stiff and precise. It was so unlike her that I nearly dropped her. After running through a few things, I finally demanded to know what was going on with her. She looked at me, and I knew something terrible was going to happen to me. Her eyes flash, and I saw for the first time that they were red.

"She pulled me in for an embrace, and she whispered in my ear. Two words I'll never forget: "I'm sorry." she placed her face in the crook of my neck, and I thought she was leaning in to kiss it, but I felt a stab of pain. She had bitten me. I don't remember what happened after that until I woke up. When I woke up, I was alone. There was a note laying next to me though.

"She was gone. But in the note she explained what had happened to me. She told me what to do, and what not to do, and I never saw her again. It didn't change the fact about what I was though: I was..." he paused, trying to gauge my impending reaction, "a vampire." I tensed up. I didn't want to believe him, but I wasn't entirely sure that I didn't believe him at this point. I looked to Carlisle and Esme for confirmation, and they both nodded.

"I roamed this side of the world for those years. I was alone, and depressed. I had never gotten to say goodbye to my father, and someone I had trusted, even loved, had turned me into a monster. I was depressed, and I began to feel like I didn't have a soul anymore. I took that out on the people I killed," he explained. He said it almost nonchalantly, and it made me want to flee, but I stayed put, becoming increasingly aware that I was trapped in a maze house with a vampire.

"I grieved for every life that I took, and I felt more and more black inside. I didn't know that there was another way. I lived like that for nearly fifty years until Carlisle found me: about five years ago. We got to talking; I had never met another like me, except for Juliette. He told me about the way he and his family lived, and offered me a place as his son. He taught me to hunt animals instead of people, and how to restrain myself against the urges I had to drink human blood.

"And then, a few weeks ago, we moved here, and I met you. I started dancing again: obviously. I felt compellingly drawn to you, and it's brought us here.," he completed his story, and looked to Carlisle to explain a little more.

I stood abruptly. "I think it's time for me to go now," I gulped. Daniel nodded, and stood to lead me out.

"I'm going to put her up at a hotel for the time being. I'll drive her into town," he offered. Carlisle nodded in agreement, and walked out with us as well. Once we were in the driveway, he opened the passenger seat door for me, as Daniel slid into the driver's side of his car.

Without a word, he steered the car back into town. It was going to be a short ride, I knew it, but I clutched the handle of the door for dear life as we drove into town. I said nothing, and stayed calm, hoping that Daniel wouldn't kill me right away. And if he tried, I was prepared to run. "You think holding on to the door handle will help if I try to attack you?" Daniel asked, a bitter tone in his voice. I didn't speak, I didn't move, I barely breathed. "I'm not going to hurt you, Addison. But if I did, you wouldn't be able to get away," he added morbidly. Again, I did nothing.

Soon enough we pulled up to a small hotel on the edge of town, not too far from my house. Daniel pulled into a parking spot and shut the car off. "Are you coming with me, or am I going in alone?" he asked. Silently, I opened my door and stepped out of the car. Being alone with Daniel was not in my best interest.

As we walked in the door, a small bell clanged against it. About eight feet in front of us, an older man stood at the front desk. He looked up at us and scowled. I could tell that he was hoping that nobody would be coming tonight. Daniel approached the front desk, while I sat stiffly in a chair in the lobby.

"One room please," Daniel requested. The man behind the desk looked between the two of us suspiciously. I could tell that he was about to turn Daniel down, but after a small staring match, the man began typing on the computer in front of him.

"How many occupants?" the man asked gruffly.

"One," Daniel replied. The old man raised an eyebrow at Daniel, but shook his head as he continued to type.

"How long will your stay be?" the man asked a little rudely.

"Indefinite, put me down for a week for now," Daniel suggested. The man huffed and clicked around a few times on his computer, and took his credit card before running a plastic key through the scanner and handing it to Daniel, along with his card.

"Have a nice night," the man said. It was obvious that he could care less about what kind of night we had, but without another word, Daniel turned around and walked back to me. He hurried me up a flight of stairs and down a hall. We stopped in front of room 108 and he turned to me, handing me the room key. I slid it into the reader, and opened my door. Before I could close it on him, Daniel's hand grasped the door and he followed inside behind me.

"I want you to take this too," he insisted, holding out his black credit card. Use it for food, and whatever you didn't bring with you." I nodded, and took the card from him, setting it on the table. "Are you going to be okay by yourself?" he asked. Again, I nodded coldly, not speaking to him still.

"Damn it Addison!" he explained. "I'm just trying to help you here, and you're giving me the cold shoulder. I could have left you at your house. I could have let your dad beat the crap out of you," he grilled.

"And why didn't you?" I yelled back.

"Because I..." he trailed off.

"Because you what?" I shot back.

"Nevermind," he sighed. Slowly, I backed away from him. I had just been in a shouting match with a vampire, and I couldn't gauge his mood right now. He caught the slow movement and scoffed. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked, almost defeatedly. I didn't answer him. "I would never hurt you," he insisted, stepping towards me, probably trying to take my hand. I let out a small scream as he came near me. Finally I had shown him just how terrified I was of him.

He scoffed and backed up. "Someone will be back to check on you in the morning," he said coldly. "In the meantime, try not to do anything stupid." And with that he left, slamming the door. I jumped a little at the bang that it caused, but I didn't move from my spot by the bed.

Slowly, I moved to lay on the bed. I was exhausted, but sleep didn't come. All I could think about was that one of them would be back tomorrow. I couldn't allow myself to be near them. Not anymore. Not now that I knew. I needed to forget. I thought to call Ashley to see if I could stay with her, but I realized that I left my phone at home.

It was then that I made the worst decision of my life: I went back. My house wasn't far from the hotel Daniel had put me up at, maybe half a mile. I could walk there in no time. I would just sneak into my room, grab my phone and be on my way. I knew in my head that it was the wrong choice as I stepped onto the driveway of the house I had lived in all my life, but the naive part of me wanted to forgive my dad for what he had done. As I reached the door I contemplated knocking, but decided against it. Quietly, I stepped into the house and shut the door silently behind me. The plan was going great until I hit the squeaky floorboard in the entryway.

"Addison," my dad called from his usual spot on the couch. I didn't answer at first, but he called again. "Addison, come here," he insisted. My head was reeling as I made the second worst decision of my life: I obeyed him. Slowly I stepped into the dark living room. The lights were off, and the only light was coming from the moon. As I got closer I could smell the alcohol on my father. It had never been this bad before, and I knew that I should run. Still, I kept on course. Finally, I stood in front of the couch, and I could see my father's face. If I had been scared of the Cullens before, they seemed like angels now. The wave of terror the look on my father's face sent me was unlike anything else. In the place of his usual angry gaze was a murderous stare.

It was then I saw the knife perched on his knee. "Did I tell you that you could leave?" he asked.

"No sir," I replied.

"Did I tell you that you could ride with that Daniel boy?" he asked.

"No sir," I repeated, feeling suddenly cold.

"Then why the hell did you leave with him after he attacked me?" he shouted.

"I don't know, I'm sorry," I sobbed.

"You will be," he whispered, turning the knife in his hands, weighing it.

"I'm sorry daddy, I should have stopped him. I shouldn't have gone with him, but I'll never disobey you again. Just, please give me the knife," I reasoned with him.

"How can I trust you not to disobey me, when all you do is disobey me?" he slurred. I was silent for too long. "Huh?" he yelled.

"I give you my word, please, give me the knife," I pleaded.

"No," he spat back at me. My mind was spinning at a thousand miles an hour and I could think of only one thing to do: run. As fast as I could, I took off towards the door. I could see it when he caught up to me. ***** I felt his rough hand on my shoulder, and he yanked me around. Too quickly for me to fathom, he plunged the knife into my stomach.

At first, I didn't think anything had happened, until it became hard to breathe. Slowly, I looked down, and surely enough, there was the knife, and a small trail of blood escaping the block it formed. I gasped, and stared wide eyed at my father. Suddenly sobered up, he looked at me with the same wide expression. Before I could say anything, he fled out the front door, slamming it behind him.

My vision became blurry, as I stumbled into the kitchen, and tried to grasp the phone. My hands were slippery with my own blood, and it dropped to the floor. Soon enough I went with it, dropping to the floor. The taste of blood in my mouth alerted me to the fact that I was dying.

*****I suddenly knew that there was no hope left. I came to peace with it as I sat in the kitchen, alone, waiting to die. I finally knew why everyone had thought that you could just fall off the Earth. Before they discovered it was round. That's what I felt like now. I felt like I was slowly falling off the edge of the world. My life had come to it's end, and now it was my turn to fall off the edge and float into the universe: whatever it held for me now.

I was barely aware of the fact that someone had entered the house until I saw the blurry outline of legs. I didn't care anymore, I just sat back against the wall as they entered. Suddenly, though I was brought back to reality. Somebody was calling my name. Hands grasped my face, and pulled it upward to look. It was Daniel, shouting my name desperately. It looked as if he was crying, but my vision was too blurry to tell for sure. That was nice: at least one person would miss me.

Daniel pulled out his phone and dialed a number frantically. "Carlisle," I heard him greet intensely.

**Daniel POV**

I just couldn't believe her! She was scared of me, after all I had done to prove she didn't have to be. Of all people, I thought she would have been understanding about what I was. I stormed down the stairs of the hotel, slightly above human speed and angrily stomped to my car. When I was in I floored it. I decided to take the long way home: what point was there in going home anyways? It's not like I slept.

As I drove through the darkness, I calmed myself. She would come around, I told myself. She had to. Finally I got my emotions in check and went back to the house to speak with Carlisle. Maybe he could help me, or maybe Bella. I reached the tall white house quickly, and parked in the garage. I slouched my way into the room, but noticed something off right away. Everyone was gathered around Alice. She must be having a vision.

Alice perked up as I entered the room, everyone else following. I didn't comprehend what was going on until I saw Alice's morbid face. "It's happening," she gasped.

"What?" I asked, fully knowing what she meant.

"Addison, she's in trouble. I saw her go home, and then her future went black," she explained quickly.

"You need to go now," Edward urged.

"What about Carlisle?" I asked.

"Called to the hospital ten minutes ago," Esme answered.

If I had a beating heart, would have dropped dead on the floor of a heart attack. Alice's vision had come true. Addison's father had stabbed her, and now she was dying.

"Go!" Bella urged, leading me out the door by the arm. After a few feet, I caught up with reality and began to run at top speed towards Addison's house. It took only a moment to reach the small house, but that minute was the worse of my life. I reached the front door of the house and pushed it open.

"Addison!" I called: no answer

"Addison!" I called again, but this time I didn't need an answer. The scent of human blood hit my nose, and I knew exactly where to find her. Quickly checking my control, I entered the kitchen. *****The sight before me was horrific. Addison was leaning against the wall, covered in her own blood, a knife protruding gruesomely from her abdomen. There were also a few bloody handprints in various places. More horrifying than the sight, was my need for her blood. As I entered the room, venom flooded my mouth. I was drawn closer, but quickly stopped myself. This was Addie, not dinner. I had no idea where to begin to fix her, so I took out my phone, and practically smashed it, dialing Carlisle's number. I prayed for him to pick up, and my prayer was granted.

"Daniel," Carlisle greeted.

"Carlisle, you have to come-" I was cut off.

"To Addison's house," Carlisle confirmed.

"Yes," I insisted.

"Okay," Carlisle began in a calming voice. "I want you to keep me on the line, but I want you to send me a picture. I can better assess the situation if I see it." Without answering him, I quickly snapped a photo with shaking hands and sent it to him. "Daniel?" he asked, after a moment.

"Here," I answered him.

"Daniel, she's lost too much blood, there's nothing I can do to help her," he insisted. My heart dropped through the floor: if it could beat, it would have burst.

"No, there has to be something," I denied.

"There is," he implied. I knew that he meant that I could change her.

"I can't let her die, Carlisle," I begged.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because... Because I love her," I admitted.

"If you really do love her, then you have my permission to bring her into this family. Just try to think of her in this as well," Carlisle replied.

"No, you don't understand, you have to changer her," I insisted.

"I would be too late, it's now or never Daniel," Carlisle explained.

I let myself breathe for a moment. "I'm going to change her," I decided.

"Okay, keep me on the line. I won't let you hurt her," he promised. I nodded to myself and went over to her. She had her eyes closed, but she was still wheezing for air.

"I'm so sorry, I love you," I said as I pulled her hair back for access to her neck. *****I checked my control one last time, and finally bit into her flesh. She wheezed in a gasp, but I did not stop at her neck. I pulled both of her wrists to me, kissing each one gently before biting them. I moved to her ankles, and when I was done, I sat back on my ankles, fighting my instincts to take the rest of her blood from her body, as I wiped the blood from my mouth.***

"Daniel?" I heard Carlisle call from the other line.

"I'm here!" I replied breathlessly.

"When you get yourself in check, bring her back to the house. You want to get her out of there before the screaming starts," Carlisle explained morbidly.

"I'm on my way," I told him and hung up the phone.


End file.
